Single-particle fluorescence imaging is used to monitor dynamic processes that occur during patterned photopolymerization of liquid-crystalline monomers. A spatial gradient of chemical potential can be created at the border of bright and dark regions by structured illumination in the photopolymerization process, leading to mutual diffusion of polymers and monomers. Analysis of the fluorescence from single quantum dots doped into the monomers at minute concentrations enables visualization of highly directional flow from the illuminated region where the photopolymerization proceeds toward a masked unpolymerized region. This directional mass flow causes flow-induced orientation of the polymers that is subsequently fixed by completion of the polymerization reaction, resulting in a mesoscopic aligned area of the polymer film.

单粒子荧光成像用于监测液晶单体的图案化光聚合过程中发生的动态过程。通过在光聚合过程中进行结构化照明，可以在明暗区域的边界处创建化学势的空间梯度，从而导致聚合物和单体相互扩散。对来自以微小浓度掺杂到单体中的单个量子点的荧光进行的分析，可以直观地观察到从照明区域向高定向流动的方向，在该区域中，光聚合作用朝着被掩盖的未聚合区域进行。该定向质量流引起聚合物的流致取向，其随后通过聚合反应的完成而固定，从而导致聚合物膜的介观取向区域。